Why They Want Tinubu Out: Power, Privilege, Politics of Control.
By Dr. G. Fraser. MFR.
The National Patriots.
Headlinenews.news Investigative Desk
> “Every reform comes with resistance. But when a system built on patronage is challenged, the backlash is not reform fatigue—it’s fear of justice.” – Dr. G. Fraser, MFR
Let us strip away the noise and speak plainly: Nigeria is once again at a political crossroads. The undercurrent of opposition to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is not accidental, nor is it just about governance performance. It is the latest chapter in a long, calculated resistance to Southern leadership—especially when that leadership dares to be independent, reformist, and unyielding to hidden cabals.
This campaign to discredit and destabilize President Tinubu is neither organic nor new. It follows a familiar script in Nigeria’s post-independence political theater: whenever a Southern leader emerges with the will and capacity to restructure entrenched economic and political monopolies, the establishment reacts—not with policy alternatives, but with subterfuge, coalitions of disgruntled elites, and well-funded disinformation.
To understand the ferocity of today’s political attacks, we must revisit history.
The 1993 Parallels: A Warning from the Past
In his revealing memoir The Tale of June 12, late political scientist and adviser, Prof. Omo Omoruyi, documented a sobering conversation with General Ibrahim Babangida. The conversation traced the deep-seated fear of a Yoruba presidency among certain elements of the Northern oligarchy. According to Omoruyi, a message from the then Sultan of Sokoto had warned against allowing Chief MKO Abiola—a Southern Muslim and one of Nigeria’s most widely accepted presidential candidates—to assume power, despite his overwhelming victory at the polls.
Babangida, acting under intense pressure, annulled the 1993 election. Omoruyi recalled Babangida saying that “Yorubas behave as if Nigeria cannot move forward without them,” and that “the Igbo should teach them a lesson.” That statement, cloaked in ethnic bitterness, revealed how Nigeria’s unity has long been manipulated to preserve power in the hands of a few.
Fast forward to 2023: Bola Tinubu’s victory, similarly built on a broad, national coalition, is met not with institutional collaboration but with whispers of sabotage, coalition-building by the discontented, and strategic undermining of national reforms.
What Makes Tinubu Different?
Tinubu’s political career is unique in Nigerian history. Unlike President Obasanjo—who was selected by the military establishment and presented as a unifying figure—Tinubu built his political relevance from opposition trenches. As the chief architect of the pro-democracy NADECO movement, former Lagos governor, and founding father of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Tinubu is not a product of the traditional political pipeline.
He is not beholden to power blocs. He did not enter Aso Rock through the backdoor of military patronage or ethno-religious appeasement. He was elected with a national mandate forged through years of grassroots political engineering.
This independence is what terrifies the old guard.
Reforms That Rattle the System
President Tinubu’s reforms—controversial but necessary—have aimed at dismantling the scaffolding of elite economic capture:
Subsidy Removal: By ending Nigeria’s opaque and corrupt fuel subsidy regime, the government has shut down a multi-trillion-naira leakage. The Nigerian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) reported that between 2005 and 2022, Nigeria spent over N13.7 trillion on subsidies, most of which disappeared into the pockets of a privileged few.
- Forex Unification: The decision to float the naira and close the multi-tiered exchange windows has cut off avenues of rent-seeking and round-tripping by politically connected businessmen.
- Crackdown on Oil Theft: The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) confirmed that Nigeria loses 400,000 barrels of crude daily to theft—much of it aided by internal collaborators. Tinubu’s renewed push for accountability and new security architecture threatens this shadow economy.
- Push for Tax Compliance and Economic Formalization: Reforms in the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Customs are aimed at ending the reign of non-compliance by large cartels who have evaded taxes for decades.
These actions have hit the core of elite survival. The reaction has been predictably aggressive.
The Coalition of the Dispossessed
Just as we saw during the tail end of President Goodluck Jonathan’s tenure—when power blocs coalesced to portray him as incompetent and weak—the same script is playing out now. This time, the coalition cuts across aggrieved Northern elites, rejected Southern contenders, media mercenaries, and foreign interests unsettled by Nigeria’s move towards resource nationalism.
They are deploying protests, leveraging economic hardship as a weapon of perception, and amplifying dissent through digital propaganda networks. Yet, many of these hardships are birth pangs of a necessary restructuring.
As Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO Director-General, once said, “There is no reform without pain. The key is to ensure the pain is not in vain.”
Is This Really About Tinubu?
This is bigger than one man. It is about the future of leadership equity in Nigeria. It is about whether a Southerner—who is not a puppet—can govern Nigeria successfully without being sabotaged by entrenched interests.
It is about whether the nation will continue to be a hostage of post-civil war political arithmetic, or whether merit, vision, and national interest can finally take centre stage.
If this orchestrated push to remove Tinubu succeeds, it sends a message that no bold, reformist leadership from outside the old guard is tolerable.
Nigerians Must Decide
The stakes are high. This is not just a power tussle—it is a referendum on Nigeria’s democratic maturity and unity.
We must ask:
- Will we continue to be manipulated along ethnic and religious lines?
- Will we sacrifice long-term national reforms for short-term grievances?
- Will we allow elite conspiracies to derail the trajectory of change?
The answer must be a resounding no.
President Tinubu is not infallible. His government must improve communication, social welfare, and citizen engagement. But Nigerians must rally behind the principles he represents: reform, independence, accountability, and true federalism.
Conclusion: A Nation at a Crossroads
> “Nigeria is at war—not with itself, but with a system that thrives on impunity. If this moment is lost, we may not get it again in a generation.” – Dr. G. Fraser, MFR
In defending Tinubu’s presidency, Nigerians are not defending a man. They are defending their right to a restructured, equitable Nigeria. This moment is not about perfection—it is about courage. It is about not blinking in the face of sabotage. It is about choosing difficult change over comfortable collapse.
Let us rise beyond manipulation. Let us protect the reforms. Let us defend this fragile, yet vital, opportunity to reset Nigeria.
COMMENTARY.
Quotes & Excerpts from Global & African Figures to reinforce the legitimacy of the reformist position and expose the dangers of Elite sabotage.
“The War Against Reform: Why Tinubu’s Presidency Threatens Nigeria’s Old Order”
Quote:
> “There is nothing more difficult to take in hand, more perilous to conduct, or more uncertain in its success, than to lead in the introduction of a new order of things.” — Niccolò Machiavelli
“Nigeria at a Crossroads: The Hidden Hands Behind the Anti-Tinubu Agenda”
Quote:
> “The enemies of reform are always many, powerful, and invisible. But the future belongs to those who push through.” — Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, WTO Director-General
“This Battle Isn’t Just About Tinubu—It’s About Who Controls Nigeria’s Future”
Quote:
> “Those who benefit from disorder will always resist order.” — Kofi Annan, Former UN Secretary-General
“The Revolt of the Entitled: How Power Elites Are Fighting Back Against Reform”
Quote:
> “Every generation out of relative obscurity must discover its mission, fulfill it or betray it.” — Frantz Fanon
“From MKO to Tinubu: The North’s Unfinished Fear of Southern Leadership”
Quote:
> “You can’t solve problems with the same mindset that created them.” — Albert Einstein
(Added context: The resistance to Southern leadership is rooted in historical fear, not merit.)
“Why They Want Tinubu Out: Power, Privilege, and the Politics of Control”
Quote:
> “When you threaten the power of the few, expect a revolt disguised as a movement of the many.” — Dr. G. Fraser, MFR
“Reform vs Retrenchment: Inside the Coalition to Derail Nigeria’s Progress”
Quote:
> “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice—if we hold it there.” — Martin Luther King Jr.
“Who Fears Reform? Unmasking the Threat to Nigeria’s Economic Reset”
Quote:
> “Corruption hates light. So the moment you turn on the switch, expect resistance from those who thrive in darkness.” — Christine Lagarde, Former IMF Managing Director
“Tinubu’s Real Crime? Refusing to Be Controlled”
Quote:
> “Reformers are rarely welcome in court. But history rewards them beyond their lifetime.” — Barack Obama
“Sabotage and Sacrifice: The High Price of Reform in Nigeria”.
Quote:
> “A nation that wants development must first break the chains of elite capture.” — Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda.
Headlinenews.news Special report.
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